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MNO Expresses Condolences on Passing of Sam George

June 3, 2009 - OTTAWA, ON – Gary Lipinski, President of the Métis Nation of Ontario today expressed his condolences and those of all Métis citizens in Ontario to the family of Sam George who passed away yesterday. A citizen of the Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, Maynard “Sam” George was the brother of Dudley George, who was killed by an OPP sniper during the 1995 occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park. Sam led the legal battle for an inquiry into the events surrounding his brothers’ death.

“All Métis and First Nations people in Ontario and across Canada can thank Sam for his efforts to have police and politicians held accountable for their actions at Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995,” President Lipinski said. “In spite of his grief, Sam found the strength to work with all those involved to shape a fair process that helped to foster a new kind of relationship between the government and Aboriginal people in the province.”

In 2003, thanks in large part to the efforts of Sam George, the Liberal government called a public inquiry into what happened the night Dudley George was killed. A final report on the inquiry, called the Linden Report, was released in 2007.

Sam George was diagnosed with cancer in August last year. He died at home on the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point reserve near Sarnia, surrounded by family members. He was 56.

The Métis are a distinct Aboriginal people with a unique culture, language and heritage who played an instrumental role in shaping Canada, and who work tirelessly to share their culture, traditions and knowledge of the environment with fellow Canadians.